Germany sets smart meter standards for nationwide rollout

The Federal Council of Germany approved the implementation of a new law to support the country’s nationwide rollout of smart meters.The Digitisation of the Energy Turnaround Act approved last week provides a roadmap to deploy a new metering system in Germany in line with the EU directives.

According to a local publication, the new policy is based on the EU legislative the Third Internal Market Package which stipulates all EU member states equip 80% of their consumers with smart meters by 2020.

Smart meters standardisation

The new German policy also provides stakeholders and various manufacturers with specific and detailed standard requirements of the smart meters and communication technologies to be installed in the country. [Smart meters Germany: Eltel acquires U-SERVE].

The law was designed to open the German energy market to digitisation while ensuring a high standard regarding data protection and ICT protection.

[quote] The policy calls for the deployment of advanced meter infrastructure to begin from 2017 through to 2032 for consumers using more than 6,000 kWh annually, as well as plant operators with an installed capacity of more than 7 kW.

Smart meters maintenance

The law includes the Smart Meters Operation Act which states that the ownership, operation and maintenance of the smart meters will be carried out by the grid operators.

However, utilities who wish to transfer the role to third party operators will have to seek regulatory approval from the Federal Office for Information Security and the Federal Network Agency. These are the two government agencies have been tasked to control and supervise the rollouts.

Meanwhile, in the UK, the country's newly elected Prime Minister Theresa May has abolished the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), amulgamated two government departments, the government's climate change department and Department of Business, Innovation and Skills to form the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

The newly formed department is expected to take over all the responsibilities of the DECC.